Michelle Abraham
Real Name: Michelle Lee Abraham
Aliases: Michelle Armour, Lee Armour, Lisa Armour
Wanted For: Abduction
Missing Since: December 1996
Case[]
Details: Michelle Abraham and Ronald DiDonato are the parents of six-year-old Chrystal. After they divorced, they fought over custody of her. During the court proceedings, Michelle accused Ronald of child molestation, among other things. The judge found no truth to the accusations and gave Ronald custody. He also gave Michelle some visitation rights. Michelle remarried and had another daughter, Jessica.
On June 15, 1995, Ronald brought Chrystal to New Haven, Michigan to spend the summer with Michelle as a part of their custody arrangement. She was supposed to bring Chrystal to Ronald's home in Englewood, Florida on August 10. However, she never arrived. Shortly afterward on August 19, fifteen-month-old Jessica also vanished. Both are believed to have been abducted by Michelle, who is not the custodial parent of either of them. They have not been seen since. Michelle's second husband, Daniel, has since been granted a divorce and was given legal custody of Jessica.
Michelle is wanted on kidnapping warrants in both Michigan and Florida. The police say there is good reason to believe that she poses a threat to Chrystal and Jessica due to a history of drug and alcohol abuse. She was last known to be in Chicago in December 1996 using the alias "Lisa Armour".
Extra Notes:
- This case first aired as a Special Bulletin on the April 3, 1998 episode.
- This case was excluded from the FilmRise release of the Robert Stack episodes.
Results: Captured. In June 1998, the FBI received a tip that Michelle, Chrystal, and Jessica were living in Bryan, Ohio. On June 21, Michelle was arrested there and charged with parental kidnapping. Chrystal and Jessica were found safe; they had been living in a home owned by Michelle's mother. They were reunited with Ronald and Daniel soon after.
In March 1999, Michelle was acquitted of the kidnapping charges in Michigan. The judge agreed with her claim that she took Jessica because she feared Daniel's abuse. However, she still faced kidnapping charges in Florida in this case. In August, she pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years' probation.
Links:
- Michelle Abraham on Unsolved Archive
- Missing - December 14, 1995
- Man hopes ex-wife will return daughter to him - May 4, 1996
- Father searches for daughter - March 19, 1996
- 2-year investigation of missing girl, sister, and mother continues - August 11, 1997
- Girl's 3-year ordeal is over - June 26, 1998
- Home sweet home: Chrystal Didonato returns to homecoming party - June 27, 1998
- Woman acquitted in kidnapping case - March 14, 1999
- Ex-Englewood mom to face charges - March 16, 1999
- Abraham to return to Florida - March 18, 1999
- Mother sentenced to three years probation - August 31, 1999